US seeks to engage Pakistan to explore areas for cooperation on addressing climate crisis

The United States of America has said that it looks forward to working with Pakistan on the climate crisis at different levels.

A spokesperson for the State Department told DAWN that the US seeks to engage all countries to explore areas for cooperation on addressing the climate crisis, including Pakistan.

While explaining why Pakistan was not invited to Leaders Summit on Climate which US President Joe Biden will host, the spokesperson said the Leaders Summit on Climate is only one of several major climate-related events in the run-up to COP-26, which will be a global event.

“We look forward to working with the government of Pakistan and governments around the world to raise the level of global ambition to meet the climate challenge,” the spokesperson added.

Pakistan has been omitted both from the Leaders Summit on Climate as well as the list of leaders who will hold talks with Special Presidential Envoy for climate John Kerry. The US department had announced Kerry would travel to Abu Dhabi, New Delhi, and Dhaka from April 1 to 9 for consultations on the climate crisis.

"The Leaders’ Summit on Climate Change hosted by President Biden reconvenes the US-led Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which brings together leaders from countries responsible for approximately 80 percent of global emissions and GDP,” the Foreign Office spokesperson had replied to a question on the alleged snub by the US.